Keep it simple

Does the emergence of stripped down, simplified sportsbook apps herald a new era in product development? Julian rogers takes a closer look

Consumers are typically an impatient bunch, especially when it comes to mobile websites and native apps running within the confines of their phone screens. They expect m-commerce to be intuitive and do what they expect with the minimum of fuss – pretty much instantaneously.

Although sportsbook apps are generally straightforward products, not all apps are particularly easy to navigate in order to pinpoint the required market amongst the hundreds of football matches kicking off during any given weekend. Irritate a customer with a confusing layout, messy navigation or force them to jump through unnecessary hoops to place a wager (particularly if time is of the essence) and they could easily vote with their fingers and thumbs and deviate to a rival’s app.

It could partly explain why some operators have started rolling out standalone, no-thrills, but still innovative, mobile products that are quick and breezy to use for dyed-in-the-wool gamblers, mobile betting neophytes and technophobes alike. On the face of it these apps are designed to promote simplicity and value. Primarily, though, they try to woo the lucrative casual customer as opposed to price-sensitive or inveterate bettor. But will they work?

Something a little different

Breaking free of the traditional mobile sportsbook mould with these single-purpose, uncomplicated apps aids differentiation in the UK market that’s chock-a-block with me-too, generic products. And these side products cost less to create, manage and update compared with full-blown sports betting apps.

In February, BetVictor unleashed the quick-betting app Instabet, which uses push notifications (powered by Urban Airship) to alert customers to mobile-exclusive odds enhancements on big sporting events for a pre-determined period of time (bets need to be placed before the clock reaches zero).

Users are able to pre-assign a default bet stake and place their wager at exclusive odds with just one screen tap. It’s dubbed the ‘fastest and easiest way to place a bet’ and also includes links to BetVictor’s other products.

Built by app specialists Red7 and available for iOS and Android devices, Instabet forms part of BetVictor’s concerted focus on mobile that the Gibraltar-based operator hopes will result in handheld devices accounting for 80% of revenue by 2015.

“We wanted to create the simplest and fastest way to place a bet, BetVictor’s head of mobile, Turlough Lally, tells eGR on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival. “The app is aimed at both new and existing customers to give them timely offers on all the big events,” he adds.

BetVictor used Instabet to full effect during the four-day festival, and with the climax of the European football’s club competitions and the impending World Cup, Lally foresees Instabet offers coinciding with all major sporting events in the future.

“[Simplified apps] allow us to promote different sports and events to customers in a more direct and engaging way. I think the mobile customer is a new type of customer in general and this app fits perfectly in his expectations,” Lally says.

Click to bet

Of course, mobile sports betting has existed since the days of clunky, non-touchscreen WAP phones. It’s a pretty uncomplicated product, unlike the bells and whistles associated with an immersive and realistic experience of a mobile casino. Odds for the home team, the away side and the draw. Enter your stake and tap to bet. Voilà.

Yet the likes of Instabet and other quick-natured, uncluttered apps could hint at the future of mobile betting. “I think we will see similar apps appear as users demand speed and simplicity on mobile,” says Lally. Matt Hatch, co-founder and CEO of Red7, which also developed Paddy Power’s Premier League iPhone app, largely echoes Lally’s sentiments.

“Yes, we believe there is a trend towards simplified standalone apps that allow users to make quick bets on the move. These apps will also serve as client acquisition and cross-selling tools for the operators.”

Hatch continues: “Putting a sportsbook onto a mobile platform is a big challenge for anyone, so we’ll probably see a new generation of apps launched in the next 12 months that simplify and enhance navigation and make the whole betting experience more personalised. Some of these will be standalone apps available from the app stores, others will be specific web-app or widget extensions to the main mobile sportsbook. This offers a real opportunity for sports-book operators to differentiate, build customer loyalty and get the most out of mobile devices.”

One operator chasing this triumvirate of mobile sportsbook goals that Hatch refers to is Paddy Power. The Irish betting giant recently turned heads with its innovative and personalised messenger app, which is promoted as being as facile as scribbling a selection on a betting slip. Developed in house, the WhatApp-esque product allows customers to simply ping Paddy Power HQ with rudimentary betting instructions (stake and selection).

What’s that app?

Betting is incredibly simple with Paddy’s app. Typing in ‘10 Rooney first goal scorer’ or ‘20 Sprinter Sacre’ is all a user needs to do to place a bet. They receive a familiar double tick to indicate the text bet request has been received, before a confirmation message with the odds and adjusted account balance is fired back to the user’s phone or tablet.

Other truncated instructions such as ‘deposit 20’ or ‘withdraw 20’ are self-explanatory, while ‘result 3.40’ will request the outcome of the 3.40 race that day. Typing ‘odds Tiger Woods’ will give the user the price on the US golfer to win his current or next tournament while ‘Racecard 2.10’ means Paddy Power messages a full race card for that day along with odds for all the runners. It’s like having a permanently on-call betting servant in your pocket. There’s also a ‘handy hints’ tab and glossy demo video within the app to explain how it all works, as well as links to the firm’s other betting sites and apps.

Using their existing login details, existing customers and new users can select whether they want to stay logged in for one hour, 12 hours, 24 hours or indefinitely. They can also choose to be messaged updates from matches and races they have a financial interest in and receive price offers and promotions depending on teams and sports they have placed bets on. Users can also message Paddy Power to lay their suggested bets.

The 8.7MB app, available for iOS devices, ostensibly aims to speed up the process of making a mobile bet, negating the need to scour the app or mobile website for the required market and selection, which is particularly handy if a race is imminent. It will be interesting to see if this app is embraced by sports gamblers, and whether rival operators unveil copycat messaging products, or are perhaps inspired to create a superior app.

User friendly 

App developers Mubaloo built BetVictor’s Premier League iPhone app Spincast for users to easily navigate Premier League football matches or

‘spin’ a selection slot machine to place a random bet. Mubaloo was also behind William Hill’s Shake-a-Bet app, which, as it sounds, means a wiggle of the phone leads to suggested bet being displayed.

“Mobile as the most immediate acquisition tool that has ever existed,” explains Chris Price, Mubaloo’s business development director. “It therefore goes to reason that gaming operators create apps designed to appeal to new customers. It’s about ease, simplicity and creating an engaging experience. The user experience is key to achieving success and getting them coming back.”

Price says the premise of the Shake-a-Bet was to create an app that users could and use even if they had never placed a bet before. But he stresses that any standalone betting app still needs to come armed with a great UX. Skimping on the look, feel and experience of the product is turn off, he notes.

“You may be able to get someone to download the app, but if it’s rubbish the customer won’t come back. The key is starting with simplicity – an app doesn’t have to be all singing, all dancing. It just has to do one thing, and do it well, but this is much harder to achieve than it might seem. Often, you are bringing multiple data sets together. There are different operating systems, different mobile network conditions and various other factors that need to be considered.”

So whilst sportsbooks could benefit from simplified apps, will we see other gambling products released as watered-down or easier to use versions?

“Side mini-games already exist for mobile bingo and poker products,” says Hatch, “but what we may see is more cross-selling between casino and sportsbook products. The key will be offering the right experience to the right audience with the simplicity of single-sign-on across different products and platforms. For instance, a traditional bingo audience would probably prefer a simple to use sports app like Instabet for popular bets, than being diverted to the full sportsbook, which could be overwhelming.”

Hatch says whether its sportsbook or casino, the objectives always remain pretty much the same. “The trends in both markets are similar: build a first class mobile optimised web site that works well on tablet and phone, and then use standalone tactical mobile apps to enhance your offering. Mobile apps are being used as tools to attract and acquire new clients, drive traffic to the main site and improve conversions and value per visit. We believe groundbreaking is about effectiveness and personalisation and not necessarily about novelty features.”

Keeping it simple?

Jesse Learmonth, president of sports betting app creators Bet Smart Media, doesn’t envisage the fully-fledged, all-encompassing mobile sportsbook being resigned to the trashcan anytime soon. Far from it, in fact. However, he does believe the emerging trend for standalone apps is “consistent” with the “broader mobile landscape”.

He cites Facebook as a case in point. “Standalone Facebook-owned mobile apps like Instagram, WhatsApp and Paper complement the core Facebook mobile app, which is not going anywhere. We are simply seeing the betting industry recognise and respond to this larger trend with the creation of apps that aim to be one thing to some people instead of trying to be everything to everyone.”

Like our other mobile product development experts, Learmonth suggests there is “no question” that more standalone apps to compliment primary apps will be hitting the stores in the future. “This is particularly the case in the UK where the market is more mature and competitive. Product differentiation will become increasingly important as operators try to capture more punter wallet share. Having a standard mobile sportsbook simply won’t be good enough for brands to stand out.

“Most importantly, these types of apps are relatively inexpensive to build, and have high ROI potential in the areas of acquisition, retention, and ultimately revenue. Pursuing this strategy requires a shift in philosophies, but as we’re seeing, many UK operators appear up to the task.”

So, it seems, we could see a number of other operators going off-piste with novel mobile products, to target a certain customer who might not be au fair with mobile sports betting or bewildered or intimidated by a full-blown mobile product. And with the money-spinner that is the World Cup just around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better to stand out from the crowd with a new and inventive mobile sportsbook product.